ランチョー・ラ・ブレイの幼年期の大規模な絶滅は,火災によって引き起こされた状態の変化に関連している
F Robin O'Keefe1,2, Regan E Dunn2,3, Elic M Weitzel4
1Department of Biological Sciences, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, USA.
まとめ
大規模な火災や生態学的変化による プレイストセンのメガファウナの絶滅は 気候変動だけでなく 人類の影響で 史前の大群の絶滅が 引き起こされたのかもしれません
科学分野:
- 古生物学
- クォーターナー科学
- 気候変動に関する研究
背景:
- プレイストセンのメガファウナの絶滅の原因は,化石記録の解像度の限界のために議論されている.
- 環境や考古学的なデータと 種の消失を一致させるのは 難しいことでした
研究 の 目的:
- ラ・ブレイ牧場で 絶滅の原因を突き止めるためだ
- メガファウナの消失を 環境と気候の正確なデータと関連付けます
主な方法:
- ランチョ・ラ・ブレイ (15.6〜10.0カ) の172個のメガファウナの放射性炭素年代測定.
- 絶滅のタイミングを,高解像度地域の古環境データセットと比較する.
- 根絶の因果要因を特定するためのタイムシリーズモデリング
主要な成果:
- メガファウナの7種は 12.9カ年後に 絶滅した.
- 絶滅は,Bølling-Allerød時期 (14.6912.89 ka) の乾燥と植物の変化によって引き起こされた生態学的状態の変化と一致しました.
- 大規模な火災が メガファウナの絶滅の主な原因だと タイムシリーズの分析は示しています
結論:
- 乾燥と植物の変化に起因する生態学的状態の変化は メガファウナの絶滅につながった.
- 大規模な火災が 史前絶滅の主な原因でした
- 温暖化,乾燥,火災に易感な生態系に 触媒として作用したのかもしれません
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